1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bearings and more particularly bearings specifically designed for high loads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bearings 5 found in the prior art shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 commonly consist of stacked pairs of ball bearings 6 mounted on a support shaft 7. The bearing may mount or attached to a cavity or support surface formed on a part 9. The load capacity of the ball bearings 6 is dependent on the number of ball bearings 6 stacked together, and the size and number of balls 8. Generally, the larger number of ball bearings 6 stacked together, and the larger the size and number of balls 8 used, the larger is the load capacity of the bearing 5. Unfortunately, in environments where large load capacity is needed, the bearing 5 must be relative large and the shaft and housing must be relatively large.
The load capacity of a bearing 5 is determined by the size and number of contact points 11, 12 between the balls 8 and the bearing's inside and outside races 9 and 10, respectively. The size and number of balls 8 and the sizes of the races 9, 10 are often limited by the environment or machine where the bearing 5 is used. In environments where the load capacity is near or slightly lower than the maximum load capacity of the bearing 5, the bearings 5 frequently wear out and must be replaced.
What is needed is a bearing with high load capacity, that is relatively small and compact, has a relatively longer life span than a standard ball bearing 5 used in the prior art, and can be easily assembled.